Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C-Corning) joined his Assembly Minority colleagues to voice his support for fully funding the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which helps eligible families pay for child care, as well as push for the enactment of the A Blueprint for Child Care (ABC) plan the Assembly Minority Conference introduced in 2024.

The ABC plan outlines a comprehensive approach to making child care more affordable and accessible by:

Providing tax relief for families and providers:

• Expanding and enhancing existing tax credits to lower out-of-pocket child-care costs for working families.
• Increasing incentives to support child-care providers and encourage the creation and expansion of facilities.
• Exploring targeted tax relief options at both the state and local levels to reduce operating costs for providers.

 Expanding access to early childhood education:

• Strengthening and modernizing Universal Pre-K programs to improve funding, flexibility and coordination with child-care providers.
• Examining opportunities to expand early childhood education access for younger children.

Improving affordability and availability of care:

• Promoting flexible child-care models, including non-traditional hours, to better meet the needs of working families.
• Reducing regulatory barriers that limit the creation and expansion of child-care providers.
• Supporting innovative solutions to increase provider capacity and parental choice. 

“Child care is unaffordable for so many parents throughout the state. In fact, 64% of New Yorkers live in child-care deserts, higher than the national average, highlighting just how widespread this issue has become. This is especially true in our rural communities, where access is even more limited. That is why we need to make sure we fully fund CCAP, as the current lack of funding has caused mid-year disruptions for families as well as a pause in applications. This has forced families to make difficult choices between ensuring their child has adequate care and meeting other financial needs. In addition, the Legislature must act on our child-care plan, which will increase access and bring down costs. Every family deserves access to affordable, quality child care, which is why I am proud to support these proposals,” said Palmesano.